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* DJ Premier samples/scratches between verses: |
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"Boogie Down was performin, hey they ain't no joke" -> Slick Rick |
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"Down with the sound called B-D-P" -> KRS * |
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Verse One: |
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Back in the days I knew rap would never die |
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I used to listen to Awesome-2 on WHBI |
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I used to hear all kind of rap groups before sampling loops |
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Rappers wore bell-bottom Lee suits |
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Me and Kenny couldn't afford that |
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So we would go to the park when they was jammin' to hear rap |
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I used to listen till the cops broke it up |
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I always thought to myself "Damn, why they fucked it up?" |
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But never the less I was in love with the microphone |
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And it stayed that way until I left home |
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On the streets of New York, now I'm free |
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But with freedom comes big responsibility |
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I used to walk around driven by the force |
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I remember how large Super Rhymes was when he fell off |
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I used to wonder about crews that used to rock |
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They were large, but none of them could manage to stay on top |
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Do you ever think about when you outta here? |
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Record deal and video outta here? |
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Mercedes Benz and Range Rover outta here? |
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No doubt BDP is old school, but we ain't goin' out! |
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Verse Two: |
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After livin' on the streets alone |
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Some years went by, I signed myself into a group home |
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I used to watch the show "I Dream of Jeannie" |
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And dreamt about "When will I be large like Whodini?" |
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But I was messin' with graffiti on the subway |
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And gettin' chased by the cops almost everyday |
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I knew it had to bea better way see |
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So I would go to my room, blast RUN DMC |
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Around 1984 I left the group home, again alone |
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Still dreamin' about the microphone |
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Gimme a chance man, I know I can rock it |
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But I had to worry about puttin' money in my pocket |
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So when I reached the shelter I met my helper DJ Scott La Rock |
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And we both loved hip-hop |
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I was takin' suckas out in the shelter system |
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Yeah there was rappers in the shelter but I had to diss 'em |
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But all along, my vision was never lost |
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I kept seeing all these rap groups fallin' off |
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Do you ever think about when you're outta here? |
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Fly girl and fresh gear outta here? |
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Five-thousand dollar love seat outta here? |
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No doubt BDP is old school, but we ain't goin' out! |
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Verse Three: |
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While I'm battling these rival crews |
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Yes, BDP would stay in the street news |
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Some said all they wanna do is battle |
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They can't write a song, so their careers won't last long |
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Around this time I used to hang with Ced Gee |
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And DJ Scott La Rock used to buy gold with Eric B |
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I didn't meet Rakim till later with Scott |
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I remember we were jammin' at the rooftop |
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It used to irk me when these critics had opinions |
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Scott would say "Just keep rappin', I'll keep spinnin'" |
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We had a fucked up contract, but we signed it |
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And dropped the hip-hop album Criminal Minded |
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We told the critics your opinions are bull |
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Same time Eric B and Rakim dropped Paid in Full |
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Hip-hop pioneers we didn't ask to be |
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But right then hip-hop changed drastically |
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People didn't wanna hear the old rap sound |
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We started samplin' beats by James Brown |
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In the middle of doin' My Philosophy |
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Scott was killed and that shit got to me |
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But knowin' the laws of life and death |
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I knew his breath, was one with my breath |
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I had nothin' left and it was scary |
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So I dropped By All Means Necessary |
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Another hip-hop group that was a friend of me |
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Was a revolution crew called Public Enemy |
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It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back |
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These two albums set off consciousness in rap |
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But all along, I'm still lookin' around |
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And all I can see are these rap groups fallin' down |
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Do you ever think about when you outta here? |
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Condominium and beach house outta here? |
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Credit cards and bank accounts outta here? |
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No doubt BDP is old school, be we ain't goin' out! |
